The Federal Government on Wednesday announced the approval of a N10 billion survival fund for transport workers and operators in the country as part of its interventions to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on all sectors of the economy.
The Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, disclosed this when the a the National Executive Committee and Trustees of the Public Transport Owners of Nigeria Association (PTONA), led by its president, Mr. Isaac Uhunwagho, paid a courtesy vist to her office in Abuja.
The Director of Press of the ministry, Eric Ejiekwe, in a statement told the delegation that the funds, which is domiciled with the Federal Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment,would help cushion the sufferings of road transport workers and operators as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While noting that 90 per cent of Nigerians travel by road, the minister, who told the delegation that the ministry was working on the fund’s disbursement modalities, hinted that the government would soon initiate a Master Plan that will reform the sector and solicited the buy-in of all stakeholders.
On some of the challenges the operators are facing at the sub-national level, Saraki assured that the pesky issues would be addressed at the National Transport Commissioners’ Forum.
She also said her ministry was in discussions with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing on the concessioning of some routes as a means of improving the quality of the routes and increasing government revenue.
In his remarks, the leader of the delegation said the visit was in respect of challenges being faced by the body and also to appreciate the minister’s efforts towards addressing the challenges members of the association had been facing since February 2020 and also solicit the cooperation of the ministry to enhance the efficiency of public transportation in the country
Uhunwagho said that PTONA members felt the impact of the lockdown the most as their branded buses could not operate for months due to the ban on interstate travels.
